After hearing Mitch's comments in class today about, "Who Will Pay For Journalism?", it really got me thinking. Not just in regards to the hilarious South Park clip he showed us but in regards to the media's future. He pointed out that no one really has the answers and no one really knows what will happen in the online world, especially in relation to funding journalism. Some of the possible solutions he pointed out were: subscriptions; good-willed donations; and advertising. Hybrid models seemed to be the most viable.However, will it only be the major players, such as ninemsn, that thrive in this new media market? Will they become like the Woolworths of the online world, with a stronghold over consumers? Surely, alternative or niche markets will struggle to survive without mass support from the people because they will not have the required finances to be continually viable.
Or, like the clip we just watched from The Future of Journalism of Summit, will we, new journalists, have to run our own race, like our own personal business? Selling ourselves, our work and our news to the highest bidder. Is this a new thing? Or just an old thing with new media formats?
In the end, who will pay for journalism?
2 comments:
Josh, in relation to whether Ninemsn will become the "Woolworths of the online world" I think that there obviously is a distinct possiblity that might occur. However, the media world is very much a "dog eat dog" kind of world and every media outlet only essentially have their own interests at heart which you can hardly blame them for. At the end of the day, much like the NRL how it is at the moment with poker machine taxes cutting into just about every club and unless something is done, the NRL might end up being an 8-team super comp. I think this may also occur in the media with those companies who have "looked after themselves" and are obviously much better off financially will be the only ones that survive.
Good point. I suppose at the end of the day each media outlet only really has their own interests at heart. Therefore, in a very Darwinistic manner, only the fittest will survive, and the fittest in 2008, are generally the ones with the fattest wallets.
But with media moving online, how do you think journalists will get paid? Advertisers, subscribers, independents?
Furthermore, what will the nature of a journalistic job entail and how will it differ from traditional formats?
Post a Comment